Why Professional Demolition Beats DIY
You might be thinking a hired jackhammer and a weekend could save you money. Here’s what actually happens.
The Reality of DIY Concrete Removal
Concrete demolition is brutal physical work in Townsville’s heat. A small 3×3 meter section? That’s over 500kg of concrete you need to break up, lift, and dispose of. Hire jackhammers vibrate your arms numb within an hour and take days to do what our excavators finish in hours.
Underground Services Won’t Forgive Mistakes
This is the big one. Hit a water main with a jackhammer and you’ve flooded your property. Strike an electrical cable and you’re dealing with injuries or worse. We use service location technology before every job. This isn’t just safety – it’s avoiding thousands in damage repairs.
Legal Waste Disposal Included
You can’t just dump concrete at the local tip. Townsville requires disposal at licensed facilities. When we quote your job, legal waste removal is included. We load it straight onto our trucks and take it to approved recycling facilities. You’re not left with piles of broken concrete in your yard for weeks.
Faster and Cleaner
Professional demolition means 1-3 days completion, site left clean and level, ready for the next stage. We’ve seen DIY attempts where broken concrete sat in driveways for months because the homeowner couldn’t organise removal.
Our Demolition Methods & Equipment
Different concrete removal jobs need different approaches. Here’s how we tackle your project based on what needs removing.
Excavator with Hydraulic Breaker
This is our workhorse for larger jobs – driveways, slabs, and commercial work. The hydraulic breaker (basically a massive jackhammer mounted on an excavator) punches through reinforced concrete fast. We can demolish a standard residential driveway in Annandale in 2-3 hours, break it into manageable pieces, and load it straight onto trucks.
Excavators also let us dig out the base material underneath if you’re preparing for new concrete. One machine, multiple jobs.
Concrete Saw Cutting
When you need precision – like removing part of a slab or creating clean edges where old concrete meets what’s staying – we use concrete saws. This is common in extension work where you’re keeping the existing house slab but removing a section for the new addition.
Saw cutting also reduces vibration, which matters when you’re working near structures you don’t want to damage. Clean cuts, no jagged edges, no cracks spreading into the concrete you’re keeping.
Jackhammer and Breaker Equipment
For tight access areas where excavators won’t fit – side paths, small courtyards, areas behind houses – we use heavy-duty electric or pneumatic breakers. These are commercial-grade, not the hire shop models that take forever and shake your fillings loose.
We use these in suburbs like Railway Estate where older homes have narrow side access and concrete work tucked in tight spaces.
Bobcats for Confined Spaces
Small excavators and bobcats get into areas where full-size equipment can’t. We use these regularly in Townsville’s older suburbs where fence lines are close and access is limited. They’re also perfect for site cleanup and levelling after demolition.
Dust Suppression Systems
Concrete demolition creates dust – lots of it. In residential areas, that’s a problem for you and your neighbours. We use water suppression systems that keep dust down during breaking and loading. This matters in Townsville where we’re often working in established neighbourhoods with homes close together.
Minimal Disruption Approach
We plan equipment placement to minimise noise impact on neighbours. Where possible, we schedule noisy work during reasonable hours and notify nearby properties before we start. Our operators know how to work efficiently without turning your street into a construction war zone.
The right equipment for your specific job means faster completion, less disruption, and better results.
How Concrete Demolition Works – Our Process
Here’s exactly what happens from the moment you contact us to when your site is clean and ready.
What Affects Your Concrete Demolition Cost
Concrete demolition pricing isn’t one-size-fits-all. Here’s what influences your quote.
Size and Thickness
Bigger areas cost more – that’s straightforward. But thickness matters just as much. A 100mm residential driveway breaks faster than a 150mm reinforced commercial slab. More concrete means more breaking time, more waste tonnage, and higher disposal fees.
We typically price per square meter, with adjustments for thickness once we measure on-site.
Reinforcement and Mesh
Plain concrete breaks easier than reinforced concrete with steel mesh or rebar. Heavy reinforcement, common in older Townsville driveways and structural slabs, takes longer to cut through and separate. This affects equipment time and labour.
Equipment Access
Can we get an excavator to your concrete? If your driveway has easy street access, demolition is straightforward. If we’re removing a courtyard slab behind your house in Railway Estate with 800mm side access, we’re using smaller equipment and more hand work. Restricted access means longer job times.
Site Conditions
Ground conditions matter for equipment movement. Soft, wet clay soil in Townsville can mean we need ground protection mats to avoid damaging your yard. Sloped sites, nearby structures we need to protect, or difficult terrain all factor into job complexity.
Waste Disposal Fees
This is included in our quotes, but it’s a real cost. Concrete disposal fees at licensed facilities are based on tonnage. A standard 40 square meter driveway at 100mm thick is roughly 10 tonnes of concrete.
Combined Work Savings
If we’re demolishing your old concrete and installing your new driveway or slab, you save on mobilisation costs. One quote, one project, one contractor from start to finish.
We provide transparent, itemised quotes so you understand exactly what you’re paying for.
Frequently Asked Questions
Most residential driveways take 1-2 days from start to clean site. Small paths or slabs can be done in half a day. Larger projects like house slabs typically take 2-3 days. We give you specific timeframes in your quote based on your job.
Most concrete demolition on private property doesn’t require permits in Townsville. Exceptions include heritage-listed properties or structures near boundaries. We’ll let you know during our site assessment if permits are needed.
Concrete demolition is loud – there’s no way around that. We work during reasonable hours (usually 7am-5pm weekdays) and notify your neighbours before starting. Most jobs are done quickly enough that noise isn’t a long-term issue.
We can, but it depends on site conditions. Heavy rain and wet clay soil don’t mix well with excavators. We monitor weather and reschedule if conditions aren’t safe or if we’d damage your yard.
We take precautions to protect your property. For heavy equipment on soft ground, we use mats to distribute weight. We stick to agreed access routes and repair any unavoidable damage. Your property condition matters to us.
All concrete goes to licensed recycling facilities in Townsville where it’s crushed and reused as road base or aggregate. Nothing goes to landfill. Disposal is included in your quote.
Yes. We handle demolition and installation as one complete project. This saves you money on mobilisation and means faster completion. One contractor, one warranty, no coordination headaches.
Not necessarily. As long as we have clear access and any gates are unlocked, we can work while you’re at work. We’ll update you with photos and call if any issues come up.
We’re usually pretty flexible. For standard residential work, we can often start within a week. Larger commercial projects need more planning. During dry season (our busy period), booking 2-3 weeks ahead is smart.
We locate all services before breaking anything using specialised equipment. If services run through the demolition area, we hand-dig carefully around them. We’ve never hit a service line because we take this step seriously.
Absolutely. We do partial removal all the time – cutting back driveways, removing damaged sections of slabs, or creating clean edges for extensions. Saw cutting gives you clean lines without damaging the concrete you’re keeping.
Sometimes we uncover unexpected issues – damaged base material, additional reinforcement, or poor soil conditions underneath. We stop, show you the problem, explain your options, and get approval before continuing. No surprise charges.
Ready to Remove That Old Concrete?
You’ve got the information. You know what’s involved, what it costs, and how we work. Now it’s time to sort out that cracked driveway, damaged slab, or concrete that’s been bothering you.
Get Your Free Quote
We’ll visit your property, measure everything, check access and site conditions, then give you a detailed written quote with no obligations. Most site visits happen within 24-48 hours of your call.
What’s included in every quote:
• Complete demolition and breaking
• All waste removal and loading
• Legal disposal at licensed facilities
• Site cleanup and levelling
• Equipment and labour
• Public liability insurance
No hidden fees. No surprise disposal charges. Just honest pricing for professional work.
Call Us Today
Phone: 0744483197
Email: info@concretetownsville.com.au
Hours: Monday-Friday 7am-5pm
Or fill out our online quote form, and we’ll contact you within 4 hours during business hours.
Servicing All Townsville Suburbs
We work across all Townsville areas – Annandale, Hermit Park, Kirwan, Mount Louisa, Rasmussen, Burdell, Bushland Beach, Belgian Gardens, Railway Estate, and everywhere in between.
Your concrete won’t remove itself. Let’s get it done properly, safely, and fast. Contact us now for your free quote.
